Live inter-school sports competitions became a distant memory during the pandemic for Willow Tree Primary school pupils. You can therefore imagine the excitement when six pupils from Year 5 and 6 got the opportunity to take part in a Harrogate Area Netball Tournament at Harrogate High School last week. The pupils felt a mixture of anticipation and nerves when they discovered they would be one of seven schools competing.
Following a brief team talk and a recap of the rules, the Willow Tree team were ready for their first match. In total, the children played in five matches, rotating positions for each one. The children were extremely enthusiastic and gave their absolute all in each match.
Upper Key Stage 2 Phase Leader, Tom Perkins commented:
I was very proud of the Willow Tree team. Their resilience and determination throughout the five matches was really impressive.
The team came 4th in their group and the children agreed that it was a fantastic experience which was a lot of fun, and they all learned a great deal more about netball. The tournament has also motivated the children to sign up for Willow Tree’s new netball club, which starts after the Easter break. This enthusiasm shows the positive impact that being able to take part in live competitions has on the children and we hope that this is the start of many more tournaments to come.
